Quilter's Profile
Dolores MacKinnon
I am thrilled to introduce you to the first quilter I ever knew: Dolores MacKinnon, my mother. Mom discovered the joys of quilting during its great revival period in the mid-seventies; but, how she was first introduced to the concept of quilting is a story worth sharing.
One day at work, Mom saw a fellow 3M co-worker, Barb Corriveau, going through the machinery rag bag. Mom asked Barb what she was doing and learned that Barb was looking for new cottons to give to her aunt for her patchwork quilting. Mom asked Barb to explain further and was absolutely fascinated by what she heard. While Mom's own mother made tied woolen blankets from worn out trousers, it was done out of necessity and never was the word quilting mentioned.
Not long after this introduction, an ad appeared in the London Free Press announcing quilting lessons at Fanshawe College. The instructor was Anne Laroque, who would eventually become one the founding members of the Oxford Quilter's Guild. Mom signed up for that 10 week course and never looked back.
It was from Anne that Mom learned the fundamentals of quilting: drawing on graph paper, cutting templates, layout, hand piecing and appliqué, English paper-piecing, hand quilting, colour and design. And from Anne, Mom acquired her strong belief in accuracy and her love of a good quilting library.
The greatest challenge for Mom and all quilters at this time was finding good cottons which were few and far between. Barb Corriveau soon had competition at the 3M rag bag. It wasn't until two extraordinary women, Lou Farnell and Willi Powell opened Quilters' Supply on the outskirts of London that quilters found a home away from home. The two women made an annual pilgrimage to the International Quilt Market in Houston, Texas and everyone waited for the new products to arrive just before Christmas.
Another difficulty for Mom was balancing a full-time job, looking after a household and trying to squeeze in time for her new passion. Her ability to get by on five hours of sleep a night was awe inspiring. Until she joined the Oxford Quilter's Guild in the mid-80's, Mom continued to learn on her own from her extensive library. With guild membership, came workshops and new friends with whom to share her love of quilting.
Mom finally retired from 3M in 1992 but within a year she lost her husband, my step-father Perc. Mom, who was living in Thamesford at the time, decided to fill the void by teaching quilting in her home. She continues to teach at her new home in London which she shares with her sister, Elizabeth Bruegger.
Mom is now in the process of finishing the many quilts constructed in the years before retiring. However, working with her hands has taken its toll and she will only hand quilt small projects. She has discovered a wonderful machine quilter near London and now sends the big projects out to be finished. The love and passion for quilting remains and she is passing those sentiments on to a new generation of quilters. Mom was delighted when I finally decided to take up quilting after years of encouraging me to do so. The exposure to her quilting has meant an easy learning process for me as I already knew the basics. A true quilter loves to share! Also, I am now the lucky recipient of Mom's stash culling and overflow and have become extremely easy to buy for at Christmas.
Women who are taking up quilting today owe a great deal of gratitude to women of my Mom's generation; it is because of them that the art of quilting flourishes. So, Mom, thank you for sharing, thank you for your passion, and thank you for being you. I love you
Anita Louise
